Safety match packet



March so, 1943. D F 2,314,974

SAFETY MATCH PACKET Filed June 16, 1939 INVIENTOR DAVID 0; FORD BY v A'n'oRlgsvs Patented Mar. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,314,914 SAFETY MATCH PACKET David Otis Ford, Petersburg, Va. Application June 16, 1929, Serial No. 279,471 j' 7 claims. (Cl. 206-29) The invention relates to a safety match packet of the type in which a match comb is slidably mounted in a protecting shield and adapted to be withdrawn from the shield an amount suflicient to permit a single match to be torn off, while protecting the remaining matches within the shield from accidental ignition. 1

More specifically defined, the invention relates to an all-paper package which can be formed sufiiciently cheap to permit it being given away with cigarettes or other purchases, which will provide blank space which can be utilized for advertising purposes and which packages-are intended to be thrown away after the last match end has been abstracted from the package. p

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simplified form of match packet of the type outlined, which can be made cheaply with the least amount of material and with the least amount of skilled labor. Another object of the invention is to provide a packet in which only a single or at least only a pair of match ends may be exposed at any one time, while the remaining match ends are housed within the shield and thus prevented from accidental ignition while the withdrawn match is being struck on an exposedstrike surface.

roadly, this latter objective is attained by an arrangement of telescopic paper-like parts by means of which the operator by pushing on one end of the comb projects a single match, or a pair of matches, out beyond the opposite open end of the shield, the shifting or sliding movement of the comb being at right angles to the length of the match ends, thus ensuring the complete exposing of an end match and the easy severing of the same'from the next adjacent match end and all the remaining matches.

Still another object of the invention is to provide guide means between the match comb and shield for the dual function of maintaining the strike ends of a line of matches in spaced relation to the adjacent bend in the shield and in this way tend to avoid accidental ignition of the matches by frictional contact between themselves and the shield and for the purpose of insuring a unilateral movement of the comb so that it may be shifted to and from its protected position in the shield without canting or tipping which would interfere with the desired ease of sliding movement of the comb, especially when it is being pushed back into the shield.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from a consideration of the accompanying drawing and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of match packet embodying the invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

r In the accompanying drawing:

.Fig. 1 is a view in end elevation of a mate comb forming an element of the package constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention; 3

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a shield forming an associated element of the complete package;

Fig. Bis a similar view of thecomplete package with the comb of Fig. 1 inserted in the shield of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front .elevational view of the match comb shownin Figs. 1 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of the packet shown in Fig. 3 with the comb projecting from the shield a. little more than is necessary to withdraw the end match; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank for forming the guide piece shown in several of the preceding figures.

Referring to the match comb in, it will be understood that it is formed of two sheets I I and i2, each comprising a line of vmatch ends l3 secured at their bases by a transverse strip l4. While the comb is thus formed of two sheets of match ends, it is obviously within the scope of the invention to use only one sheet which may be bent back upon itself conventionally to form two lines of match ends with their ignition heads I5 arranged in the staggered relation shown at the top of Fig. 4. 1

At the bottom of the comb is secured a guide piece l6.

contacts the adjacent transverse strip I4 and is secured thereto by fastening means shown to be a. pair of staples 25] passed through the side is and through the two transverse strips M.

The bend or crotch 2! of the guide strip is located slightly below the lower edges of the transverse strips I4 'to elevate the match sheets above the lower portion ofthe shield and to. form a. runner for engaging the lower bend of the shield as hereinafter described. The other side 22 of the strip I6 This guide piece is formed from the. blank ll shown in Fig. 6 which is a sheet of paper forms a slightly resilient flange or guide tongue which has a tendency to bend outwardly and thus forms a frictional engagement with the adjacent face of.the shield.

Referring to the shield 23 as shown in Fig. 2, there is disclosed a more or less flat, open-end tubular band. This shield is formed from a long sheet of paper bent transversely of its length at two spaced apart points to form a relatively. wide upper bend 24 and a relatively narrow lower bend 25 connecting the front side 26 with the rear side 21. The free ends of the paper strip are positioned in overlapping relation adjacent the lower front side of the shield with the inner end 28 secured as by gluing to the bent back outer end 29. The bent back end 29 forms with the one side of the bend 25 a V-shaped guide channel 33 opening inwardly and downwardly into the interior of the lower portion of the shield. In place of the gluing the two ends 28 and 28 may be per manently connected by fastening means 3| which may be by stapling. The upturned outer side of the bend 25 is provided with a strike surface 32 extending across the lower front side 26 of the shield as particularly shown in Fig. 5.

When the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 3, the flange or tongue 22 of the guide piece is bent into a smaller angle of the V to fit in the guide channel 33 and extends upwardly in this channel substantially to its upper edge so as to defeat possibility of the comb from moving out of the line of movement of the same when shifted into and out of the shield. It is suggested that the outer side of the tongue 22 and the exposed outer face of the side 59 be utilized as the space for accommodating advertisements, cards or other printed matter 33.

In operation and assumingthat the comb is completely concealed within the shield, the operator by inserting his finger in one end as, for instance, at the left side of Fig. 5, the comb can be pushed out through the opposite open end of the shield against whatever resistance may be imposed by the tongue 22 sliding on the rear face of the end 29 to expose the right hand match end 34 as shown at the right of Fig. 5. The match end 34 can be torn off by bending'the match laterally in either direction across the plane of the comb following conventional practices in this respect. Assuming that the comb has been shifted into a position approximately that of the showing in Fig. 5, the next adjacent match 35 will be restrained by the shield from moving laterally out of line with the remaining mat-ch ends in the shield. Then by pressing the finger on the exposed remaining portion of the comb, with a right to left movement of the showing in Fig. 5, the comb may be replaced in its protected position within the shield before the withdrawn match 34 is struck. In this wayin strilnng the withdrawn match, the possibilities of accidentally igniting the housed remaining matches is eliminated. Dueto the slight frictional resistance between the match comb and the shield accidentally slipping of the match comb out of the shield is eliminated.

It is appreciated that the average user of such match packages operates them quickly. Even though the device herein disclosed be operated quickly, the guiding arrangement between the bottom of the match comb which is remote from the heads of the matches, insures an easy, even though slightly resisted, unidirectional sliding action between the base of the match comb and the shield. As the next to the last match being withdrawn, that is the match end 35, is held by the straight edge 36 at either the front or back of the package, depending upon which way the withdrawn match is bent, it insures a clean separation of the withdrawn match, such as 34, from the remainder of the comb, and in this way distortion or breaking of the unused match ends has been avoided.

With reference to the advertising feature, it is noted that the printing 33 on the comb is normally concealed and protected by the shield and in this way its appearance is maintained fresh. The progressive exposing of the advertising space permits the placing thereon of a form of advertisement which features a suspended interest and curiosity is very apt to cause the user to go to the trouble of projecting the entire comb out of the shield in order to read the advertising. Even if this be done, and the comb be entirely removed from its shield, the operator, even the inexperienced operator, will have no difficulty in replacing the comb back into its slidably mounted position in the shield.

I claim:

1. In a safety match packet, a paper strip folded transversely at two places intermediate its ends to form an upper and a lower bend, one free end of the strip overlapping the other and permanently connected to form a flat, tubular, open-end shield, the end of the outer of the overlapping ends being bent back upon itself to form a guide channel, a paper match comb fitting in the shield and having its opposite edges in close juxtaposition to its upper and lower bends, and slidable into and out of the shield in the direction parallel to said bends, said comb comprising a plurality of detachable match ends connected to a transverse strip at the base of the match ends and a strip of paper folded longitudinally to form a guide piece of V-shape in transverse section with one side secured to the transverse strip and the other side intruded into the channel and slidable therein as the comb is moved unilaterally in either direction out of or partly out of either open end of the shield and said guide piece and channel piece and channel coasting to prevent tilting of the match comb out of its permissible line of unilateral sliding movement and providing a slight degree of frictional resistance to an otherwise freedom of sliding movement between the comb and shield.

2. In a safety match packet, the combination of a strip of paper bent back upon itself and having its free ends permanently secured together to form afiat, open-end tubular shield, one of the free ends being bent back upon itself and secured to the other end to provide a guide channel opening into the interior of the shield, a match comb fitted in and slidably mounted in the shield and a guide piece secured to the match comb, slidable in the channel and bearing on one of the free ends to provide a frictional resistance to the sliding movement, said guide piece comprising a strip of paper bent back upon itself to form it V-shape in cross section, said guide piece operating in the channel to permit a unilateral sliding movement of the match comb into and out of the shield and tending to maintain the match heads in spaced relation to the adjacent portions of the shield and to-defeat all other relative movements between the match comb and the shield.

3. In a safety match packet, the combination of a strip of paper bent twice back upon itself to form an upper and a lower bend and having its ends permanently secured to form a flat tubular shield, a match comb disposed between and a spaced from the upper and lower bends, normally contained within the shield and with its match ends extending in a direction at right angles to the lengths of said bends, said match comb slidable as a whole in a direction at right angles to the lengths of its match ends to and from its contained position and a resilient guide tongue reacting between the comb and shield to move the match comb under pressure transversely into engagement with one side of the shield and in its frictional engagement therewith tending to restrain relative movement therebetween transversely of its permissible direction of sliding movement and restraining movement of the comb towards both the upper and lower bends of the shield.

4. In a safety match packet, the combination of a strip of paper bent back upon itself to form a flat open end tubular shield, the free ends of the strip overlapping and secured together, one of the strips being bent back upon itself and providing a V-shaped guide channel opening into the interior of the shield, a match comb slidably mounted in the shield, said comb including two sheets each comprising a line of match ends secured at their bases to a transverse strip, a strip of paper bent longitudinally to form a V-shaped guide piece, and fastening means passed through one side of the guide piece and through both of the transverse strips, leaving the other side of the guide piece free to move transversely and said other side of the guide piece being slidably mounted in the guide channel.

5. In a safety match packet, the combination of a fiat tubular shield open at opposite ends and otherwise permanently closed, a match comb mounted in the shield and slidable relative thereto to expose an end of the comb, said comb comprising a plurality of detachable match ends connected to a transverse strip at the base of the match ends, and a guide strip permanently secured to said transverse strip and including a reline of match ends extending parallel to and spaced from said bend and guide means confined to the base portion of the match comb as defined by the transverse strip, leaving the match ends accessible from opposite sides of the comb when exposed, said guide means reacting between the transverse strip and the shield, tending to keep the match ends spaced from the bend and thus minimize danger of the matches igniting as the comb is slid into and out of the shield.

'7. An all-paper safety match package comprising a flat, open end band of paper defined at its lower edge by a bend in the paper band, a match comb slidably mounted in the band for movement from a position entirely contained within the band into positions to expose one match at a time beyond an open end of the band and said comb provided with a piece of cardboard bent back upon itself to form a rounded bottom runner projecting for a material distance below the match comb for engaging the band at said lower edge bend and for elevating the lower edge of the match comb upwardly out of the bend to provide for some flexibility between the head ends of the matches and the portion of the band enclosing the same.

1 DAVID OTIS FORD. 

